Retaining wall



z zswm Dec. 26, 1939. A. HENDERSON RETAINING WALL Filed April 22, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2.5 ,4/berff/enoerson 4 A Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RETAINING WALL Albert Henderson, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to William P. Witherow, Pittsburgh, Pa.

, Application April 22, 1939, Serial No. 269,471

3 Claims.

a centrally located plant and assembled on the job by relatively unskilled labor. I

Numerous forms of retaining walls have been suggested heretofore but have all been subject to the objection that numerous elements of special shape were required and the limitations imposed with respect to the possibility of designing Walls of any desired height. of my invention'thereforeto improve generally upon the construction of retaining walls known heretofore and particularly to provide a wall composed of relatively inexpensive elements which can be quickly assembled to form a wall. In a preferred form, my invention comprises a plurality of substantially vertical members extending upwardly from a supporting foundation or footing and adapted to be loaded as beams. Said members are laterally braced and a plurality of precast plank-like members of concrete or the like are disposed against the inner edges of the beams to form a wall surface. The beams and braces may be embedded in apoured foundation of concrete or the like while the latter is still plastic or may be supported on top of suitable footings, in which case the lower ends of the beams and braces are tied together by short horizontal. members,forming triangular structures: or A-frames. A preferred embodiment of the invention and a modification thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of a retaining wall embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line IVIV of Fig. 2;

5 is a partial sectional view taken substantially along the line VV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification;

Fig. '7 is a plan view thereof, partly broken away; and

Fig. 8 is a partial elevation thereof.

Referring l'lOW'lIl detail to the drawings, and for the present to Figs. 1 through 5, the preferred form of the invention comprises a foundation or footing ii] of concrete or the like poured in place. While the poured concrete is still plastic, I erect substantially vertical members II It is an object -1 and 3.

and embed their lower ends in the foundation Ill. The members Ii may conveniently be precast concrete planks and are preferably arranged in pairs, with a filler plank Ila. therebetween, as shown in the drawings. The members H are 5. adapted to be loaded as beams and are connected together at their lower ends by pins l2 extending through holes formed therein. The pins l2 also serve as anchors to hold the beams firmly, embedded in the footing. The beams II have 10 reinforcing incorporated therein as indicated at 13.

Bracing members [4 also have their lower ends I embedded in the foundation it. The upper ends of the braces i l extend between the beams H of each of the spaced pairs thereof as shown in Figs. Pins i5 extend through alined holes in the upper ends of the beams Ii and braces It to tie the latter firmly together. The braces M like the beams l I, are preferably precast concrete planks or the like which may be made up to standard dimensions at relatively low cost. Pins i6 extending transversely through the braces M at their lower ends provide an anchorage for the latter in the footing Hi and this may be made even more secure by disposing reinforcing mesh I l on .eachside of the braces M above the pins Hi. The footing may also be reinforced as at Hi to provide greater resistance tothe downward load on the wall. The beams and braces may be placed before instead of after the pouring of the footing if desired. Instead of a single brace for each set of beams, as shown, I may use a greater number and may either dispose all at the same angle or, in case of a wall of considerable height, may use braces of different lengths disposed at different angles, in cooperation with each set of beams.

Additional pins l9 extend through alined holes in the beams ll and filler planks Ha. As shown 40 in Fig. igthe pins l5 and it are shorter than the sum of the thicknesses of the beams II and the associated brace M. The ends of the holes through which the pins extend are covered with grout as at 2D to prevent removal of the pins.

When the beams H and braces I4 have been erected and the foundation has set, stretchers 2! may be laid up on the latter between adjacent pairs of beams H, the ends of the stretchers engaging the inner edges of the beams H as shown in Fig. 5. The stretchers 2| are similar to the beams and braces in that they are preferably precast reinforced concrete planks made up to suitable standard sizes and lengths. As shown in Fig. 2, various sizes of planks may be employed,

depending upon the horizontal load at various heights above the foundation. The stretchers 2i are shown as laid on their sides but may also be laid on edge depending on the character of the earth to be retained and the span between adjacent pairs of beams ll.

After the stretchers 2| have been laid up as shown, the wall is ready for its fill. As clearly appears in Fig. 2, the weight of the fill holds the footing Hi against tilting and the horizontal load of the fill is transferred directly to the footing by the beams H and braces M. The foundation It provides a continuous surface or deck to receive the weight of the fill. As an example of the economies which may be effected with the con-; struction shown, the same standard precast plank may serve as beams ll, braces M and stretchers 2!. These planks are supplied in standard lengths whereby a wall of almost any desired type may readily be provided at low cost.

Figs. 6 through 8 illustrate a slightly modified form of wall in which separate foundations 25 are spaced along the length of the wall in contrast to the footing It which, as shown, preferably extends continuously along the wall. An A-frame or triangle 26 is disposed on each footing 25. It includes a pair of vertical beams 2'1, a brace 28, a filler 28a, and base members 29, all composed of reinforced precast planks of suitable lengths and connected together by pins 38. As shown in Fig. 7, the beams 21 are arranged in pairs with a brace 28 and filler 28a between them, while the horizontal members 29 are disposed outside the beams 27. Spacer planks 3! are shown between the braces 28 and the horizontal or base members 29.

Stretchers 32 are laid up between the adjacent A--frames 26. A course of stretchers is laid on the horizontal or base members 29, the stretchers being precast planks disposed on edge, forming a substantially continuous deck between adjacent foundations. against the inner edges of the beams 21, as in the case of the wall shown in Figs. 1 through 5.

It will be apparent that the wall of Figs. 6 through 8 performs the same function as that shown in Figs. 1 through 5, the principal difference being that the overturning moment exerted on the former is resisted by the weight of the earth above the stretchers 32 disposed on the base Additional stretchers are built up adjacent pairs of vertical beams. These stretchers are laid with mortar therebetween. Weepholes may be provided by leaving spaces in the mortar joints between the stretchers nearv the bottom of the wall.

It will immediately be recognized that the structures shown in the drawings and described in detail above provide retaining walls which can be quickly erected from standard precast elements at low cost. The precast planks can be manu-j factured cheaply in quantity and can easily be assembled by unskilled labor. The construction of the wall is such, furthermore, that it can easily zontal thrust or overturning moment.

Although I have disclosed herein but a pre-' ferred form of the invention and a modification;

it will be understood that changes in the struc- 3 tures shown and described may be made without 'be designed to withstand almost any given horil. A retaining wall comprising a monolithic,

field-cast foundation slab, precast posts embedded in said slab in spaced relation adjacent one side thereof, precast braces embedded in the slab adjacent the other side thereof, substantially in alinement with said posts, said bracesextending toward the posts and being secured thereto, and precast stretcher units laid up on said foundation behind said posts and extending between adjacent pcsts, whereby the entire weight of fill above said slab and behind the wall resists the overturning moment applied. to said wall.

2.'A retaining wall comprising spaced precast posts, precast braces secured to said posts and extending downwardly therefrom, precast stretcher units laid up behind said posts and extending between adjacent posts, a substantially'continuous horizontal deck between the posts and braces, the postsand braces being secured to said deck, said deck being effective by the weight of fill thereabove, to resist the overturning moment applied to said wall.

3. In a retainnig wall, a poured foundation, precast beams extending upwardly from said foundation and having their lower ends embedded therein, precast stretchers extending between said precast beams defining the face of said wall,

and precast braces connectedv to said precast beams, extending downwardly and laterally therefrom, and having their lower ends embedded in said foundation, said foundation comprising a wide slab along the wall face providing a continuous deck adapted to receive fill thereabove and effective by the weight of said fill to oppose the overturning moment applied to the wall.

I ALBERT HENDERSON. 

